Orange Moon Cafe "Character... Capability" Part IV "The Price"

The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe...

 

  "Character… Capability"

 

Part IV - "The Price"

  

   Perhaps the most important reason believers must believe the truth of the "new creature" we are in Christ involves the price that made possible our redemption from being fleshly in our essence to being spiritual.

"He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him" (II Corinthians 5:21).

Note the Apostle Paul does not reference the bearing of our sins by our Lord Jesus Christ in this statement. Certainly our Lord did take upon Himself our iniquities, suffering and dying for them (I Peter 2:24). However, Paul takes the matter much further. Our Savior was "made to be sin for us" (emphasis added). What can this possibly mean? We will never fully know, nor can we do more than affirm the statement means precisely what it says. Somehow, on the cross of Calvary, the Lord Jesus became everything He was not in order to experience the wrath of God for our sakes. An eternally righteous and pure Being was "made... to be sin." Consider the horror of such an abberation for a moment. What would this have meant in our Lord's heart of goodness? Again, we cannot know. We can only bow to offer praise and thanksgiving for so glorious a Redeemer, who was so willing to become for us the object of shame, sorrow, and lonely forsakenness. "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?" (Matthew 27:46).

Now, having arisen from our knees, let us ponder our next response, namely, to avail ourselves of the gift made possible by our Lord's sacrifice. If He was made to be sin, and we are "made the righteousness of God in Him," how we can not choose to believe and affirm the truth of our Christ-purchased newness of life, being, and personhood? So much argues against it, of course. Experience, emotion, and appearance often tell us that we are the same slaves of sin we once were. No honest believer will deny the Apostle John's declaration: "if we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us" (I John 1:8). However, sin does not change the change that occurred in us the moment we trusted in Christ. We can still walk after the flesh. But through Christ, we are forever spiritual, as united with the Holy Spirit, in the innermost depths of our being. "Ye are not in the flesh, but in the spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you" (Romans 8:9). This we must believe because it is true. And this we must believe because the Lord Jesus suffered far too much to make possible the "new man, created in righteousness and true holiness" we became when we believed (Ephesians 4:24).

I think of this sometimes when I consider the patriots who have died for the freedom and sanctity of the nation in which I live, the United States of America. I think of it when I think of my son, a United States Marine who has served two tours of duty, and a police officer who places his life on the line every day of his career. In the light of such sacrifice, how can I not seek to be in practice the American I am in citizenship? In the same and even greater manner, how can I not choose to believe the Word of God that tells me the Son of God became what He was not in order to fundamentally change who I am? I certainly don't alway live accordingly. And I so want to be more in practice who I am in my newness of life in Christ. However, I desire to never let anything hinder me from believing the Truth to be true. Too much was given to purchase such a gift to not make a stand for it. I know you join me in this determination, and let us heed the Apostle Paul who afffirmed the sacrifice, and the newness of life that flows from it...

"Reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord."

(Romans 6:11) 

Weekly Memory Verse

      "That which is born of the Spirit is spirit." 

(John 3:6)  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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